Rally the corgi has sniffed out the best Christmas events for kids in Allen for 2026, and here is what he found: 2 family events, 1 of them free. They are Letters to Santa (from November 28) and Sweaters, Santa, & Skating (December 19). We check every date on the host’s own website, and each listing links straight there. For the rest of the state, see our Texas Christmas events for kids guide.
What Rally found in Allen
- 2 Christmas events for kids in Allen
- 1 free event, including Letters to Santa
- Meet Santa: Letters to Santa (from November 28) and Sweaters, Santa, & Skating (December 19)
- Season: November 28 (Letters to Santa) to December 19 (Sweaters, Santa, & Skating)
- Every date checked on the host’s own site on Nov 10
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Free Christmas events for kids in Allen
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Letters to Santa
- When: Saturday, November 28, 2026 to Saturday, December 12, 2026 (Letters are accepted from Saturday, November 28 through Saturday, December 12. The page does not list drop-off hours.)
- Where: Joe Farmer Recreation Center and two other city drop-off sites, 1201 E Bethany Dr, Allen, TX 75002 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: Young children (0 to 5) and youth (6 to 12)
Expand to see the parent tip
Allen Parks and Recreation collects children's letters to Santa for two weeks and promises a reply in the family mailbox. Kids write out what they are hoping for at Christmas and drop the letter at one of three city sites: Joe Farmer Recreation Center, Stephen G. Terrell Recreation Center or the Don Rodenbaugh aquatics center.
The program runs from Saturday, November 28 through Saturday, December 12, 2026, and the city lists it as free. An online form is also planned, though the page still shows it as coming soon. The age range given is young children up to 5 and youth 6 to 12.
Parent tip: Have your child print a full name and mailing address clearly, since Santa's answer arrives by mail. Drop the letter off well before the December 12 cutoff if you want the reply to land before Christmas.
- Host
- Allen Parks and Recreation (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Joe Farmer Recreation Center and two other city drop-off sites, 1201 E Bethany Dr, Allen, TX 75002 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Allen events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Allen daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Allen.
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Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 1 more Allen event researched for you.
- New events every week We research new events daily and send you one email a week with the new ones we find in Allen.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Allen before they fill up.
- Unlock the filters Find Santa visits, free events and weekend plans in one tap.
- Rally’s Christmas Eve Express and a free advent calendar Get early access to Rally the corgi’s Christmas Eve tracker, plus a free digital advent calendar to count down to Christmas.
- One-tap add to calendar Save any event to your Google, Apple or Outlook calendar so you never miss it.
Coming up on this page
- 2 Santa
- 1 Zoos and museums
- 1 Free
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Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Allen
Admission, tickets or a fee apply. Where a host has not posted a price yet, the listing says so.
Santa visit
Sweaters, Santa, & Skating
- When: Saturday, December 19, 2026, 1 to 4 pm
- Where: Allen Community Ice Rink, 200 E Stacy Rd #1350, Allen, TX 75002 (opens in maps)
- Cost: $7 admission, $3 skate rental (rental free with a non-perishable food donation)
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
The city's annual holiday skate fills the Allen Community Ice Rink with holiday sweaters and seasonal swag. Along with open skating there are games and prizes, and Santa stops by with his elves.
It takes place Saturday, December 19, 2026, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at 200 E Stacy Rd #1350. Admission is $7 for everyone and skate rental is $3, or free if you bring a non-perishable food item to donate. No registration is needed.
Parent tip: Pack one canned or boxed food item per skater and the $3 rental fee is waived. The city lists the $7 admission as applying to everyone, so budget for parents as well as kids.
- Host
- Allen Parks and Recreation (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Allen Community Ice Rink, 200 E Stacy Rd #1350, Allen, TX 75002 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Allen events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Allen daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Allen.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
We check every event above on the host’s own page for the date, time and cost, plus the things parents ask about, like sign-ups and ages. Looking for a Santa train instead? Those are on our Texas Christmas train rides page.
See every event on a December calendar
Plan your December
When each Allen Christmas event for kids happens
The first is Letters to Santa in Allen on November 28; the last runs to December 19. Each bar spans an event’s dates, not every hour in them, so check the host’s page for times.
- Letters to SantaAllen · Nov 28 to Dec 12
- Sweaters, Santa, & SkatingAllen · Dec 19
Looking further afield? Our Texas Christmas events for kids guide lists every event we have found in the state, and we have city guides for Plano, Prosper, Melissa and Little Elm. The national search sorts every event by distance from your town.
A story for the drive home
A morning with Santa or an evening of holiday stories tends to end the same way: tired kids, a long drive and one more book before bed. Our picture book follows Rally the corgi on his first train ride to see his grand-paw-rents, and every page is painted by hand. If your family is spending December missing someone, it was written for that too. For the car, print our free corgi and train coloring pages.
A bedtime story after seeing SantaRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi’s first ride on a California train, hand-painted in watercolor. $16.99 on Amazon, ages 0 to 8.
Buy on Amazon2026 Christmas events are coming in late November
More Christmas events arrive in late November. We add them here as soon as we confirm them.
The story of Christmas in Allen
Allen began in 1870 as a railroad town on the Houston and Texas Central Railway, and its old depot is still standing as the Allen Heritage Center with a steam locomotive parked beside it. These days the Christmas season runs through the city's recreation centers and its community ice rink.
How Allen celebrates
The holiday events on file for Allen are run by Allen Parks and Recreation and posted on the city's community calendar. Letters to Santa opens on November 28, 2026, with drop-off points at Joe Farmer Recreation Center, Stephen G. Terrell Recreation Center and the Don Rodenbaugh aquatics center, and children are told to watch the mailbox for an answer. On December 19, the Allen Community Ice Rink hosts Sweaters, Santa, & Skating, which the city describes as its annual holiday skate, with games, prizes and a visit from Santa and his elves. Skaters who bring a non-perishable food item get their rental skates free.
Fun facts about Christmas in Allen
The Houston and Texas Central Railway established Allen in 1870 and named it in 1872 for Ebenezer Allen, a former attorney general of Texas who had promoted the railroad. On February 22, 1878, a gang led by Sam Bass robbed a train at Allen, an event described as one of the first train robberies in Texas. The town was not incorporated until 1953, when it had a few hundred residents, and the 2020 census counted 104,627.
Traditions today
- Letters to Santa: Children drop letters at city recreation centers from late November into December, and Allen Parks and Recreation sends a reply by mail.
- Sweaters, Santa, & Skating: The city's annual holiday skate at the Allen Community Ice Rink brings out holiday sweaters, games, prizes and Santa with his elves.
- Food donations at the rink: Skaters at the holiday skate can trade a non-perishable food item for free skate rental.
- Recreation center drop-off points: Joe Farmer Recreation Center, Stephen G. Terrell Recreation Center and the Don Rodenbaugh aquatics center all collect Santa letters.
A fact for kids
Barney, the purple dinosaur from television, was produced by a company based in Allen called Lyrick Studios in the late 1980s and 1990s.
Questions about Christmas in Allen
When was Allen, Texas founded?
A railroad purchasing agent established the town in 1870 for the Houston and Texas Central Railway, and it was named Allen in 1872. A post office opened in 1876. Allen did not incorporate as a city until 1953, when it had only a few hundred residents.
How did Allen get its name?
The town was named in 1872 for Ebenezer Allen, a former attorney general of Texas. He had promoted the Houston and Texas Central Railway, the line that set up the town as a stop two years earlier.
What is Allen's railroad history?
Allen started as a railroad town with a water supply stop on Cottonwood Creek. In 1908 an electric interurban line between Denison and Dallas was built through town, and it ran until 1948. The historic depot now houses the Allen Heritage Center.
Was there really a train robbery in Allen?
Yes. On February 22, 1878, according to the city's historical account, a gang led by Sam Bass robbed a train at Allen. Collin County describes it as one of the first train robberies in Texas.
What happens at Christmas for kids in Allen?
Allen Parks and Recreation runs Letters to Santa from November 28 through December 12, 2026, and hosts Sweaters, Santa, & Skating at the Allen Community Ice Rink on December 19. The skate includes games, prizes and a visit from Santa and his elves.
Where are Allen's holiday events held?
The holiday skate is at the Allen Community Ice Rink, 200 E Stacy Rd #1350. Santa letters are collected at Joe Farmer Recreation Center, Stephen G. Terrell Recreation Center and the Don Rodenbaugh aquatics center, all city recreation facilities.
Who organizes Christmas events in Allen?
Both events listed here are organized by Allen Parks and Recreation and published on the Allen Community Calendar, which is managed by the City of Allen's Public and Media Relations Office. The city counts nine recreation facilities, including the ice rink.
What is free at Christmas in Allen?
Letters to Santa is listed as free. The holiday skate on December 19, 2026, costs $7 for admission and $3 for skate rental, though the rental fee is waived for anyone who donates a non-perishable food item.
How big is Allen today?
Allen had 104,627 residents at the 2020 census. It stayed a small farming community until the late 1960s, then grew quickly as Dallas and Plano expanded. The city sits in Collin County, about 23 miles north of downtown Dallas.
Where can families see a steam locomotive in Allen?
A steam locomotive is displayed beside the Allen Heritage Center, which occupies the city's historic railroad depot. It is a reminder that the town was created by the Houston and Texas Central Railway in 1870.
Sources
- Allen, Texas, Wikipedia
- Letters to Santa | Allen Community Calendar, City of Allen
- Sweaters, Santa, & Skating | Allen Community Calendar, City of Allen
Keep the Christmas magic going: track Rally the corgi on Christmas Eve, print free Christmas coloring pages, learn how to say Merry Christmas in 100+ languages, find train museums to visit with kids, or browse Christmas events in every Texas city.
Allen Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What is the best Christmas event for kids in Allen?
Sweaters, Santa, & Skating on Saturday, December 19, 2026, is a good pick. It runs from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Allen Community Ice Rink and mixes open skating with games, prizes and a visit from Santa and his elves. The city calls it an annual holiday skate.
Are there free Christmas activities for kids in Allen?
Yes. Letters to Santa from Allen Parks and Recreation is listed as free. Between November 28 and December 12, 2026, children can leave a letter at Joe Farmer Recreation Center, Stephen G. Terrell Recreation Center or the Don Rodenbaugh aquatics center and watch the mailbox for a reply.
Where can kids see Santa in Allen?
Santa and his elves visit the Allen Community Ice Rink during Sweaters, Santa, & Skating on December 19, 2026, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Kids who would rather write than skate can send him a note through the city's Letters to Santa program, which runs November 28 through December 12.
Do Allen's holiday events need tickets or registration?
Not the two listed here. The city says no registration is required for Sweaters, Santa, & Skating on December 19, 2026; you pay $7 admission at the rink, plus $3 for skate rental. Letters to Santa is a free drop-off program with no sign-up.
How much does the holiday skate in Allen cost?
Admission to Sweaters, Santa, & Skating is $7 for everyone, and skate rental is $3. The city waives the rental fee if you donate a non-perishable food item. The skate is on Saturday, December 19, 2026, at the Allen Community Ice Rink on East Stacy Road.
How do Letters to Santa work in Allen?
Children write to Santa about their Christmas wishes and drop the letter at one of three city recreation sites between November 28 and December 12, 2026. Allen Parks and Recreation says a special response will arrive by mail. An online form is planned but was listed as coming soon.
Are there Christmas train rides for kids near Allen?
Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s Texas Christmas train rides guide. This Allen guide covers Santa visits, story times, light shows and other events off the rails.
How do you confirm these events?
We list an event only after we find this season’s date on the host’s own website or an official city or tourism calendar. We last checked every listing on November 10, 2026. Hosts change details, so always confirm on the host’s page before you go.
Event names belong to their hosts. Rally Takes the Train is a family picture book and is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by any host listed here. Confirm dates, times and prices on each host’s own site before you go.